Circular knitting machine



Oct. 3, 1933. E W|LDT Er 1,928,803

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed Sept. l5, 1930 5 Sheecs-Shee'fl 1 Oct. 3, 1933. E. WILD-r n Ar. 1,928,803

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed Sept. 15, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 fra/Afm, my@ ,e f

- Oct. 3, 1933. E. wlLDT Er Al. 1,928,803

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed Sept. l5. 1930 5`Sheets-Sheet 3 Oct. 3, 1933. I E. wlLDT Er AL 1,928,803

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed Sept. 15,- 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 il m Y J 71 22e/afan; y 5. (mw Ma/4am,

@WMM KM* MM- Oct. 3, 1933. E. WILD-r Er. AL 1,928,803

CIRCULAR KNITTING MACHINE Filed Sept. 15, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 '96 IH'HH Illlllllllllll Hullmlh ,[71 0471 fo rs.' @y www4/Anaya@ Patented Oct. 3, 1933 PATENT CFI-ICE CIRCULAR KNITTINC MACHINE Edwin Wildt and Henry Harold Holmes, Leicester, i England, assignors to Wildt and Company Limited, Leicester, England, a British company A Application September 15,- 1930, ,Seriall No. 482,013, and inV Great BritainfSeptember Y1 8,

for examplewhen heeland toe-pockets are tov be formed.

VAn objectof the present invention is to provide an improved patterning means for such machines, and accordingly the present invention comprises, in orfor a circular hose or half-hose knittingmachine,.the combination with the needle-cylinder of a..jacquardselectingl device employing a perforated strip, card or equivalent, or a plurality of suchdevices spaced apart angularly around the needle-cylinder, Which devices'are associated with, or intended to operate upon, the needles, the needle-jacks, or other stitch-controlling or stitch-forming elements for determining the pattern or nature of knitting to be produced.

. In a preferred form of the invention, there is provided an operative driving connection between a main drive for'the machine and movable portions ofthe jacquard device,or devices, vwhich operative. connection includes a] clutch, or clutches, for throwing. the jacquard device, or devices, into or out fromoperationat Will.

Conveniently, each jacquarddevice comprises arotatable platen over which a perforated ja-cquard strip is to be passed, selectors (for example, radially movable elements) controlledr by the jacquard-strip and, operating in Yconjunction with such device or all of them, a selector-,actuating cam, orcams, revoluble about the axis of the needle-cylinder, Vcombined with an operative driving connection between the main drive and theV said cam, Vor cams, which operative connection includes a clutch, Vfor instance, the clutch (or one of them) above referred to.

In order that the linvention may be more clearly understood, a preferred example will now be described in detail with the aidof theaccompa'nying drawings, in which- Figure l is an elevation of the machine looking from theright of Figure 2;

Figure 2 is a plan ofthe parts illustrated in Figurel;

Figure 3, on an enlarged scale, is a section of the lower portion of the machine `including the needlecylinder and driving mechanism *on the line 3-3 Cf Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of certain parts vconnected with the patterning headY illustrating an attaclfirnentf for that head;

s Claims. (Cluse-5o) Figure 5 is a composite view showing a development ofthe several carnsystems employed and their relation one to the other, and

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic view of a modified form'rof clutch for coupling the main drive with the jacquard cam. l

YLike reference numerals indicate like Vparts throughout all theiigures of the drawings.

In the specific example illustrated, six jacquard devices are shown arranged in two sets, whereof those of one set are indicated by the reference numeral 1.0, and those of the other set by the reference numeral 11, In each case, in Figures 1 and 2the platen rollers are designated by the reference numerals above mentioned, and in connection with two'of them perforated jacquard strips 12 are indicated and a rfew jacquard-selector devices are shown at 13. It will be understood, of course, that there may be a perforated jacquard strip 12 for each platenrand there will be as manyselectors 13 as may be required for the desired patterning scope,a few only of the latter being indicated to show their relative positions. Y

The driving spindles 14 of the three platen rollers l0 are interconnected by bevel Wheels 15, and the spindles 16 of the platen rollers 11 are similarly interconnected by bevelgearing 17. The two sets of platen rollers are simultaneously driven in the following mannerz-A shaft 18 is connected bylbevel gearing 19 (Figure 2) to shafts 20 and 21, of Whichthe shaft 20 carries a pinion 22 which in turn engages a pin-Wheel (noty shownv as it lies beneath the pinion 22) constituting part of'a Geneva stop mechanism, the rosette Wheel 23 of which is fast on the spindle 14 of the platen roller adjacent to the shaft 18. The shaft 21 drives a pin-Wheel 24 forming part of another Geneva stop mechanism, of which the rosette Wheel is shown at 25 fast on the spindle 16 that is also adjacent the shaft 18. The pin- Wheel 24 is illustrated as mounted on the shaft 16, whereas the pinion 22 mounted on its shaft 20 is employed to drive the pin-wheel of the rosette Wheel 23 for the purpose of Ymaking the direction of rotation of the pin-wheels alike, as, of course, shafts 20and 21 rotate in Vopposite senses, due to the arrangement of the bevel Vgearing 'at 19.

The shaft 18 is driven in the following manner. On the main driving shaft 26 (Figs. 1 through 3) is a pinion 27 which meshes withv an intermediate pinion 28 in its Vturn meshing with a pinion 29 revolvingfreely on the shaft 18. Associated with the pinion 29 is a movable clutch member 30 which is splined to the shaft 18 but is free to move longitudinally thereon to engage or disengage clutch teeth 31 from clutch recesses in the pinion 29. Thus, the shaft 18 can be driven positively from the main driving shaft 26when the clutch 30 is inthe position illustrated in Figure 3, whereby both sets of platen rollers are simultaneously driven and the platen rollers can be thrown out of operation by actuation of the clutch member 30 to disengage it from the pinion 29.

y One set of platen rollers 10 is'allocated to the control of the pattern on one half ofthe fabric and the other set 11 is allocated to the control of the pattern on the other half of vthe fabric. the case of the hose machineto which the present invention relates, one half of the fabric Awill be the front half including the front of the leg andthe instep and the top of the foot, and the other half will comprise the back of the leg, heel and foot-bottom.

Conveniently, the operation of the twosets of platen rollers is so timed by the initial setting of the Geneva stop mechanism (23 and 25) relatively to one another that whilst selectors, such as 13, of one set of jacquard devices 10 are (with their platens stationary) being actuated to determine the pattern, rotation of the platens 11 for positioning their selectors will take place, and vice versa.

. In-the example illustrated, the needle-cylinder is intended to be stationary and has a revolving cam box. In the standard 32 onwhich, as usual, the machine is supported, there is a bearing for the main driving shaft'26, and the axis of this shaft is in a medial plane separating the two sets of jacquard devices, as can be clearly seen from the drawings.

The jacquard devices comprising platen rollers and selectors may be constructed substantially as described and illustrated in prior specifications Nos. 223,619, 272,277, and 313,657. The selectors 13, when selected by the jacquard strip, are moved fcrwardly'towards the needle-cylinder yin a position to be engaged and lifted by a cam, or cams, 33 that revolve around the axis of the needle-cylinder 34. l

The selectors 13,V when they areactuated, (lifted in the present example), by a cam such as 33, may serve to operate any known form of patterning mechanism and the invention is not limited to any particular patterning mechanism to be thus controlled or actuated by the jacquard devices. It is known that such jacquard mechv anism can be employed forexample for the control of reverse plating sinkers, thread feeding devices, and needles, the actuation of the latter being either bydirect engagement with the selectors or through the medium of needle jacks. The illustrated example of the invention may be considered as showing a construction in which the selectors 13 are moved upontheir selection to a position to engage beneath a needle or needlejack, whereby when the selectors are raised by a cam such Vas 33 the needles are raised for patterning or stitch-controlling purposes. c The term patterning as applied to the jacquardfdevices is to be understood as including any form of patterning or stitch-control for which jacquard devicescanbe employed. A

The cam, or cams33 is, or are, only required toy be driven at the times when the jacquard devices are actuated for production of apattern and willy in'any case be required to cease during the knitting of the heels and toes. In order to render clear the manner in which this drive takes place, reference is now made to Figure 3, in which it will be seen that within the main driving shaft 26 there is housed a second shaft 35 that has a splined portion on which is mounted the movable part 36 of a main clutch. In the position illustrated in Figure 3, the clutch is shown engaged with a clutch-plate 37 fast on the main shaft 36, and by means of the splined engagement between the member 36 and the shaft 35 the bevel Wheel 38 will be continuously driven in one direction. This meshes with a bevel wheel 39 fast on a vertical shaft 40, and splined to the latter is a movable clutch member 4l. Freely rotatable on the shaft 40 is a sleeve 42 integral with a pinion 43 meshing with a ring gearv 44 on which the cam 33 is carried. The clutch 4l is shown in driving engagement with the sleeve 42 and, consequently, with the parts as shown the cam 33 will be rotated from the main shaft 26. The cam-box 45 .is rotated by means of a pinion 46 fast on the cerned, is self-acting. This may be somewhat inthe form shown diagrammatically in Figure 6. The clutch teeth on thepart 41 and the cooperatingrecesses on the part 42 are of the shape shown so that the vertical faces of the teeth are engaged when the part 42 is rotated in the direction requisite for round knitting. Thus, assuming that round knitting is in a clockwise direction, the part 42 will drive the part 41. When, however, the machine commences to reciprocate; as when beginning the Vheeland toe-pockets, the gear 46 will constantly change its direction of movement.` i

With the first anti-clockwise direction of the gear 46 the member 41 will also commence to rotate anti-clockwise, and the sloping surfaces of the clutch teeth and recesses in the parts 41 and 42 respectively will come into driving engagement with one another and the teeth on the clutch part 41Y Will ride up the sloping surfaces of the recesses andthe clutch will be disengaged. It will be held in disengagement by a catch 152 over which kthe clutch held in disengagement will automatically pass so thatrthe parts will be in the chain line position, shown on the drawings. In this case only a'relatively short lever 52, that is to say that part of vit between the pivot 53 and .the clutch, is required. Under these conditions it is not necessary to time outl this clutch. When reciprocation ceases and round knitting is again to commence, aV trip-rod 153 will be operated from one of the control-drums or the like, thereby permitting the clutch part 41 to be engaged with the sleeve 42. 'I'he ring 44 then commences 'to rotate and this is timedto commence when the clutch 30 is thrown in to commence the drive of the shaft 18.

It will be understood that the ring 44 and the gear 43 will not readily run backwardly owing to the shape of the raising cam which prevents it from passing beneath the selector-levers in the reverse direction. It is this fact which causes the sleeve 42 to remain suilciently still while the teeth onl the clutch part 41 ride up the inclined faces of they slots in the sleeve 42 when reverse motion of the parts commences at the beginning of reciprocation.

The means for actuating the clutch 30 comprises a lever 48 pivoted at 49 in a stationary part of the machine, and having a pin enteringan annular recess in the surface of the clutch member 30. 'Ihe pin 50`also projects outwardly from the lever 48r and is spaced from another outwardly-projecting pin 51.

Between the pins 50 and 51 is situated a curved end oi another lever 52 pivoted at 53 in a stationary bracket 54. The other end of the lever 52 engages in an annular groove in the clutch member 4I. The curvature of the end of the lever 52, which is engaged between the pins 50 and 51, is such that when the lever 48' is moved to the right in Figure 3 -to disengage the clutch member 30-from the pinion 29 it will swing the lever 52 in a clockwise direction about its pivot 53, thereby raising the clutch member 41 and disengaging it from the sleeve 42. Thus, as the rotation of the platen rollers is stopped, so also the rotation of the cam 33 vwill be stopped simultaneously.

. The lever-48 is actuated, as shown in Figure 1, fromk a main patterning device which may be constituted by a pattern-drum 55, or patternchain, or other similar'means. In the particular l example illustrated, a drum is employed, and it is i to'be understood that cams can be inserted at the 'required positions'in this drum to move a rod 56, the .upper end of which is connectedto a crank 57 fast on'the spindle-19. Thus; the control of the jacquard mechanism is automatically determined from the pattern-drum 55.

There are two main pattern control drums or their equivalent, the other of .which is on the same shaft 60, as a Wheel 58 over which passes a pattern-chain 59.. 0n the spindle 60 of the through an'intermediate gear 67. Consequently,

the control of the jacquard devices will be automatic.

'As is usual in hose machines, the wheel 66 drives a shaft 68, crank wheel 69, and oscillating sector gear Vfulcrumed on an axis in the lower part of the frame, and which in its turn meshes with a pinion 7l fast on a sleeve 72,. On thesleeve' 72 is also a clutch plate 73 into engagement with which the main clutch 36c`an be moved as an alternative to its engagement. with the clutchplate 37. The change over of position of the clutch member36' from that illustrated into engagement with the clutch-plate 73 controlled frommeans such as. the drum 55 or chainv 59 changes the machine over from rotary knitting to knitting by reciprocation, and it is when this occursV that the pattern-drum 55 will serve to open the clutches 30 and 41 to disconnect the jacquard mechanism from the main drive.

It will `be seen from the foregoing description and the drawings that the timing chain, the control drums and the operative connections between the main drive andthe various parts to be driven are all located onthe rear and front of the machine and very compactly. In fact, the

partsare so compactly arranged that Valmost the` f The twoend platens of the two` sets 10 and 1-1, that isV to say, those adjacent to, and on each side of; the drivingshaft 18, are so close to the main driving mechanism that the usual endless jacquard strips would foul part of the mechanism were they to hang straight down. Consequently, in order to avoid Vsetting the platens further away from the cylinder, the jacquard strips will be carried over guides 74 specially provided to steer them clear-of the driving and control mechanisms. Thus, the compactness of the jacquard mechanism as a whole is not in any way disturbed. Y

Above Vthe needle-cylinder is mounted a patterning` head 75 which carries in it'wale-thread feeders' and actuating mechanism therefor, but as'this is similar in the main to that described in British Patent No. 331,586, no description of it in detail will be necessary herein. The patterning head is supported from an upper trianguiar frame 76 which is guided for vertical movement in three uprights 77. The head can be raised and lowered -by turning a hand-wheel 78 fast on a shaft 79 and meshing by means of gearing 80 with another shaft 81. Shafts 79 and 8l have pinions 82 whichrmesh with racks formed in the uprights 77. Thus, as the hand-wheel is turned in one direction or the other the frame 76 will be raised or lowered, thereby raising or lowering the patterning head 75; In .the prior British Patent No. 331,586 above mentioned, a control rod is described for controlling the patterning operation of the Wale-thread feeders. This control rod is indicated in the present drawings at 83,'and is actuated'from the pattern-chain 59 through a bell-crank 84, connecting rod 85, crankarm 86, vertical rod 87, crank-arm 88, connecting rod 89, crank mechanism 90, and vertical control rod 91, the lower end of which is actuated by direct Contact with the rear pattern-drum. In order to permit the up-and-down movement of the patterning head, the crank-arm 86 is splined to the vertical rod 87.

Figure 5 shows the cam system for. the entire machine and on the left are illustrated the several positions of the needles for the several heights to which the buttsare raised, as shown by 'theY short black lines in the lower part of the gure.

:Eachof the needles is associated with av jack 92 and is raised fwhen so determined thereby, selection of these jacks for patterningpurposes being effected by means of the jacquard-selectors 13. I

Some of the jacks have long butts 93, shown in chain-lines in Figure 5, and others have short butts, and jacks of one kind alternate with jacks of the other kind around the cylinder. The purpose of this arrangement is in order to be able to produce gaps in the needle circle as described in British Patent No. 331,586 for the purpose set forth therein. Having regard to the fact that the purpose of this division is already fully described and in itself forms no part of the present invention, it will only be necessary briefly to refer to the jack cam system for producing this result. The lower line of cams comprises a lifting cam 94 which engages with the butts 93 of all the jacks to bring them to a uniform height after the needles have passed through the stitch-cam system, the cams being intended to rotate in the direction of the arrow shown above the needlecam system. Following the cam 94 is a second cam 95 which engages only the long butt jacks andlowers those jacksA only, and subsequently a raises those jacks and they raise theirassociated needles above the level of the remaining needles, as is shown clearly in the upper line of needlebutts indicated by 97 immediately above the cam 96. At this position, out-throwand deflectingcams v98 and-99 for the Wale-thread feeders serve to move the appropriate feedersto wrap their threadsA round the needles which are relatively raised. After the Wale-threads have been wrapped, a lowering cam 100, operable on the needles, pushes downall the needles and jacks thathave beenA previously raised bythe cam 96, Whereafter another jack-lifting cam 101, operable only on the long butts` 93, raises all the long butt jacks and their associated needles to a height corresponding to that to which the ,other needles havebeen previously raised by the cam 96. It followsftherefore, thatralternate needles having been raised by the cam 96 above the intermediate needles, the latter will now be raised by the cam 101 above the alternate'needles first raised, and in this position `out-throw-and deflecting cams 102 and 103 act upon thewalethread feeders-appropriate to the needles raised by the cam 101. After the needles have been wrapped with their wale-threadsin this manner, the jacquard-selecting cam33 comes into operation to control the nature of the stitchingdetermined by jacquard selection, and,v immediately following this, the needles are partially lowered by cam 104 .to'pass through the usual needle-cam system 105, 106, 107 and 108.

Previously, the jacquard mechanism has been referred to as a patterning mechanism, but it is to be understood that the term .patterning is employed herein in its broadest sense to mean any desired control of the stitch that is to be formed. In the present instance, the jacquard devices may co-operate with Wale-thread feeders, one for each needle, for producing hose in'k accordancewith prior British Patents. Nos. 328,026 or 327,987. That is to say, the Wale-threads4 may be of the same colour as the ground-thread and the jacquard selection serves to Vraise Vthe needles sufficiently high to.: cause the Wale-thread loop to pass below the latch'before the needle is drawn down by the stitch-cam, thus throwing the Walethread loop to the back. Alternatively, the jacquardmechanism may be employed inthe manner described in prior British Patent'No. 313,657. As a further alternative, if the machine is equipped with more than one feeder, ordinary jacquard knitting could be produced without the use of the Wale-thread head mechanism.

In Figure 5, the chain-line 109 is intended to represent the level of the-verge of the cylinder or, if sinkers are used, the ledge thereof.

If it is required to shog the patterning head 75, mechanism similar to that indicated in Figure4 may be employed. Above the shaft 18 is another shaft 110 carrying the ratchet-wheel 111 and a cam-wheel 112. On the fiat face of the latter is a cam or cams 113 which will engage With a cam-follower at the end of an arm 114 ,carried on a rock shaft 115.

v4In splined connection with the upper end of the latter, is an arm 116 connected at 117 by a pin-and-s'lot connection with the end of an arm 118 fast on'a spindle 119 which carries vthe patterning head 75. On thespindle 18 is a crankann 120 which is connected by a link-121 with a rockinglever 122 which oscillates about the spindle 110 and carries a pawl 123 to engage the teeth of the ratchet-wheel 111. As the crank 120 is rotated. the arm 122 will be givenan oscillating movement which, by means of the pawl 123,v will vadvance the ratchet-wheel 111 step-by-step. This will cause the cam or cams such as 113, to be brought into engagement with the arm114 and thereby turn the rock shaft 115 which, by the connections 116 and118, will also turn the spindle 119 and the patterning head 75 in order to shog the latter about the axis of the needle-cylinder. A

When it is desiredto maintain the shogging mechanism out of action, a blufling cam 124, carried by an arm 125 which rocks about the spindle 110, can be brought beneath the pawl 123 to hold it lraised above the teeth of the ratchetwheel 111. The arm 125 is controlled by a rod 126 from vone or the other of the pattern devices 55 -or 58. y

The shogging device, for the sake of clearness, has been omitted from the other gures of the drawings..

'It is obvious that with modifications' readily understood to thosey versed in knitting machines, they invention can be applied to machines having revolving needle-cylinders and 'stationary cams. 'In such a case, the jacquard devices willrevolve aroundthe axis of the machine in company with the needle-cylinder, butowing to the inertia of the parts thus to be revolved, it is preferred to applyvthe invention tothe stationary needle-cylinder ,type of machine.

It will be understood from the foregoing description of the preferred form of mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, that in its entirety the hose or half-hose machine comprises' the combination-of jacquardmechanism and Wale-thread feeding mechanism by means of which latter vertical stripes or patterns can be produced; or, by means of which knitting can be formed in the manner described in British Patents Nos. 327,958, 327.987 and 328,026.

By dividing the platens virtually into two sets so that Awhile those of one set are operating to position their/.selectors those of the other setare stationary, the cam 33fis enabled to operateon those Vselectors of the group of stationary platens, While selection is being carried out on the other group. This affords ample time also for the wrapping of the' Wale-threads round the needles of the other group before the cam 33 arrives at a position to raise the'selectors which have been brought into its pathby the platens. It is within the invention to employ jacquard selection purely for patterning purposes and not necessarilyfor controlling the movement of the needleY topass a wale-thread'that has been wrapped round it below the latch thereof, as describedin-British Patent No'. 328,026. f

We claim:

1. In a circular hose or half-hose knitting machine, the combination of a needle-cylinder, means to actuate the machine both for continuous and reciprocating knitting, jacquard patterning devices spaced angularly apart around the needle-cylinder, and, for the jacquard devices, a main driving shaft, driving means coupling said shaft with said devices and control drums all arranged substantially symmetrically with respect to a plane containing the cylinder axis.

2. In or for a circular hose or half -hose knitting machine, the combination of a needle-cylinder, means to actuate the machine for both continuous` and reciprocating knitting, jacquard selecting patterning devices spaced angularly apart around the needle-cylinder, means to arrest the operation of said jacquard devices during reciprocating knitting and, for the jacquard devices, a main driving shaft, gears coupling said shaft with the jacquard devices and control drums al1 arranged substantially symmetrically with respect to a plane containing the axis of the cylinder.

3. In a circular hose or half-hose knitting machine, the combination of a needle-cylinder, means to actuate the machine both for continuous and reciprocating knitting, jacquard patterning devices spaced angularly apart around the needle-cylinder and each comprising a platen; a jacquard actuating cam, a driving member and clutches for operatively connecting the latter with the platens and with the cam.

4. In a circular hose or half-hose knitting machine, the combination of avneedle-cylinder, means to actuate the machine both for continuous and reciprocating knitting, jacquard patterning devices spaced angularly apart around the needle-cylinder and each comprising a platen; a jacquard actuating cam, a driving member, clutches for operatively connecting the latter with the platens and with the cam, and means interconnecting the two clutches whereby they are thrown into and out Aof operation together.

5. In a circular hose or half-hose knitting machine, the combination of a needle-cylinder, means to actuate the machine both for continuous and reciprocating knitting, jacquard patterning devices spaced angularly apart around the needle-cylinder and each comprising a platen; a jacquard actuating cam, a driving member, clutches for operatively connecting the latter with the platens and with the cam, and a control drum for controlling the operation of the clutches.

6. In a circular hose or half-hose knitting machine, the combination of a needle-cylinder, means to actuate the machine both for continuous and reciprocating knitting, jacquard patterning devices spaced angularly apart around the needle-cylinder and each comprising a platen; a jacquard actuating ca m, Ya driving member, clutches for operatively connecting the latter with the platens and with the cam, means interconnecting the two clutches whereby they are thrown into and out of operation together, and a control drum for controlling the operation of the clutches. p

7. In a circular hose or half-hose Vknitting machine, thecombination of a Vneedle-cylinder, a main driving shaft, a continuous gear for driving the machine for continuous knitting, a quadrant gear for driving the machine for reciprocating knitting, a clutch device for alternatively connecting the continuous, and quadrant gears to the main driving shaft, jacquard patterning devices spaced angularly around the needle-cylinder, a clutch forming part of an operative connection between the main driving shaft and the jacquard devices, and control means for said clutch so timed that when the clutch for the quadrant gear is moved to couple the latter with the main driving shaft the clutch for the jacquard devices is disconnected.

8. In a circular hose or half-hose knitting machine, the combination of a needle cylinder, means to actuate the machine both for continuous andvfor reciprocating knitting, jacquard patterning devices spaced apart angularly around the cylinder, said devices each comprising a platen roller, a perforated jacquared element and a plurality of movable selectors in association therewith, a driving member, a selector-actuating member and an interruptable connection between the driving member on the one hand and the platens and selector-actuating member on the other hand.

EDWIN WILDT. VHENRY HAROLD HOLMES. 

